Thiabendazole, 2-(4-thiazolyl)-1H-benzimidazole, is a systemic fungicide used for spoilage control of citrus fruit, for treatment and prevention of Dutch elm disease in trees, and for control of fungal diseases of seed potatoes.
One route for the synthesis of thiabendazole employs 4-methyl thiazole (4-MT) as an intermediate. Known methods for the synthesis of this compound used hazardous chemicals, or gave yields that were too low, or for other reasons were uneconomic.